Скачать или смотреть Houston Matters Full Episode - February 20, 2026

Today on Houston Matters, Texas is suing Dow Chemical Co., citing hundreds of water pollution violations at the company’s facility in Seadrift along the coast south of Victoria. Dylan Baddour of Inside Climate News explains the lawsuit and how it could actually end up shielding Dow from tougher penalties. Also, the nonprofit Sierra Club recently released its legislative scorecard for last year, measuring how well or how poorly state lawmakers supported various environmental needs, at least according to the organization’s own measurements. Matthew Johnson of the Sierra Club’s Lone Star chapter discusses the ratings and whether such assessments ever move the needle on the state’s environmental concerns. Then, a new documentary called “The Inquisitor” explores the life and career of the late Texas Congresswoman Barbara Jordan. The film airs February 23 at 9 p.m. on Houston Public Media, TV 8. In conjunction, we reflect on Jordan’s contributions to the political landscape with historian and author Mary Ellen Curtin. Plus, we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week with health economist Vivian Ho, professor David Branham, and marketing expert Mary Flood. Topics this week include an alleged immigration scam in Houston and the influence of a state on public universities after University of Houston proposed a professor curriculum checklist to prevent them from political or ideological advocacy.

Houston Matters is an essential daily guide to the people, places, issues, and ideas that define Greater Houston. Hosted by Craig Cohen.

Houston Matters streams live on YouTube weekdays from 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. CT, and airs live on Houston Public Media’s News 88.7.

Timestamps:
00:00 Pre-show news
07:23 Intro
07:42 Ken Paxton sues Dow Chemical
20:33 Supreme Court ruling on Trump tariffs
21:08 Lawmakers & the environment
33:20 The Good, The Bad & The Ugly of the Week
33:49 Immigration scam in Houston
41:03 State influence on public universities
52:54 Legacy of Barbara Jordan

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